An equipment of radiocommunication equipment integrating “2 in 1” or “3 in 1” multifunction capacities distributes all the time and frequency resources that are allocated thereto between various services, programmed in a software way, notably:
1) for its main function, communication services (voice, data, operational messaging, alarms, SMS, etc.);
2) services 1), called “2 in 1” services, that are additional to 1) and derivatives of reception/tapping capacities of the radio, namely services such as tapping, monitoring, recording of I/Q channels, positioning, cyclic channel checking, and spectrum studying;
3) services, called “2 in 1” services, that are additional to 1) or services, called “3 in 1”, that are additional to 2) and derivatives of the capacities of the radio emitter, namely services allowing proximal signals and radiocommunications to be disrupted.
Below, for reasons of simplicity, an additional service added to the conventional 1) function of a radio post, whether this be a service such as an ESM (Electronic Support Measure) electronic measure, a signal disruption service, or a listening or tapping/monitoring/positioning service, or the spectrum management service known as dynamic spectrum management (DSM), will be referred to as a “3 in 1”.
In known prior-art systems used to listen, tap, monitor, intercept and localize emitters, the signal-detecting means enabling these functions are dedicated means that are limited in number. These means are in general dedicated to one task or one tapping(listening)/monitoring or disruption function and are de facto positioned in suitable locations, depending on the application. They are not always well orientated as regards their reception antennae and their position or location, relative to the device or event to be detected. For example, they may have an angular aperture that is inadequate to obtain a quality position reading, or they may not be positioned in geographical proximity to the emitters of interest in question. The means implemented in such systems often require the installation of additional cabinets, leading to integration, cabling, bulk, weight and electricity consumption costs that notably decrease the mobility of the units so equipped (deployment of antenna masts for the radio transceivers, determining antennae heading or direction, cables to be installed between cabinets and antennae). The equipment being dedicated to specific processes, it in general provides optimized results for these processes, but is not necessarily reusable for other applications.
Among the drawbacks of the prior art, mention may be made of: a device position that does not necessarily correspond to the targets in the absence of prior knowledge of the environment (i.e. emitters of interest, etc.); a lack of flexibility; and how difficult it is to rapidly reposition one or more elements when they are in operation and dedicated to one function, the presence of antennae and supporting masts meaning that an adjustment is necessary. In contrast, “3 in 1” equipment may be used to provide services that are rapidly reconfigured, notably by virtue of the software-defined radio (SDR) capacity of communication network radios.